Picker spindle



Nov. 2, 1948. a RO UE 2,452,771

PICKER SPINDLE Filed April 14, 1945 INVENTOR. SamwZ W C E Patented Nov. 2, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PICKER SPINDLE Application April 14, 1945, Serial No. 588,358

4 Claims.

1 My. invention relates to improvements in picker spindles particularly those of the type especially designed to lubricate the picker in use.

Many types of means have hitherto been provided for lubricating the picker in use but so far as I am aware none of these have been entirely successful as it has been extremely difiicult to provide a structure which will lubricate the picker just the right amount. Inasmuch as the picker and the picker spindle are subject to a great deal of movement, namely the rapid, sharp movement of the lay in tilting forward and backwards and the crashing movement of the picker on the picker spindle in throwing the shuttle across the lay, most of the normal types of gravity oil flow hitherto attempted have proved unsatisfactory due to the tendency of the shocks caused 'by the violent changes of movement of the parts just described to shake up the lubricating device so that it spills too much oil.

My invention therefore relates to a device depending entirely on capillary action for feeding the lubricant. I have found that a pure capillary action does not produce enough lubrication and an object of my invention is to provide a structure which additionally functions to pump out the oil in-the projecting part of the wick so that the capillary action will function to feed more oil than where there is mere contact between the end of the wick and the part to be oiled. For this purpose I have provided a hollow spindle having an oil dispensing orifice and I provide continuous yarn strand wick means projecting through said orifice to contact the interior of the picker sleeve to lubricate it.

The yarn strand means normally blocks gravity flow of fluid through said orifice. To increase the capillary flow I provide in combination with theelements hithertofore described of means on said picker spindle to yieldingly compress the outer ends of said yarn strand means exterior of said orifice against the picker sleeve to squeeze lubricant from the end of the wick means to increase the capillary flow thereof as the picker sleeve reciprocates over said orifice in use. It is apparent that this supplemental action squeezes or pumps the oil out of the projecting end of the wick means leaving voids therein so that the capillary flow will immediately function to rapidly fill these voids resulting in a greatly increased capillary flow.

Thus in one embodiment of my invention I have countersunk the outer end of the orifice and it is obvious that by varying the area and amount of countersink that I provide a device which will provide just the amount of squeezing or pumping action to feed the proper amount of oil by a capillary action to the picker. In the preferred embodiment of my invention shown I preferably provide means to lubricate each side of the picker sleeve by means of a single continuous wick.

A further object of my invention is to provide a wick having an optimum capillary action and for this purpose I have found that continuous yarn strands compressed together provide the optimum amount of capillary action.

These and such other objects of my invention as may hereinafter appear will be best understood from a description of the accompanying drawings which illustrate embodiments thereof.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a portion of one end of the lay of a'loom showing a picker spindle and picker in a position about to throw a shuttle with the picker spindle constructed in accordance with one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the portion of the picker spindle shown in Figs. 1-4 adjacent the feeding orifice thereof showing the ends of the continuous yarn wick strands bent inwardly over the surface of the countersink after the picker has been thrown inwardly.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary rear elevation similar to Fig. 5 showing the continuous yarn wick strands bent outwardly over the countersink after the picker has been thrown outwardly to the end of its stroke, with the picker itself which normally covers the orifice in this position removed.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference generally indicate like parts throughout, l0 generally indicates an end of a lay of a loom having a shuttle box I2 thereon.

My invention comprises a novel structure of the picker spindle l4 so that it may readily lubricate the picker 16 after it is thrown by the picker stick l8 in use inwardly of the picker spindle M, the strap 20 connecting the picker IE to the picker stick carrying the picker outwardly on the outward throw of the picker stick. 2i and 22 designate the usual bearing lugs for supporting the picker spindle'having the bearing holes 24 therein for receiving the ends of the picker spindle therein. The picker spindle comprises the hollow pipe M. The inner end of the picker spindle is provided with a bearing plug =26 having a reduced outer end 28 adapted to be forced into the end of the hollow interior 3! of the pipe I4 with a force fit to effectively dam its end. Said plug 23 has a shank portion 32 approximately the outside diameter of the pipe Hi and the threaded outer-end 35. The shank 32 therefor extends through the bearing hole 24 and is secured to the bearing lug 22 by the nut 36. The outer end of the picker spindle comprises a reservoir 38 comprising an enlarged elbow shaped member having an externally threaded inner end 40 adapted to be threaded within the threaded outer end 42 of said pipe, anda verticalplughole 44 adapted to receive the plug 46. The plug '46 is removable to permit oil poured through the plug hole 44, in the reservoir 38 to fiow -within the interior 3!! of the connected hollow pipe or picker spindle l4.

I have designed my improved picker spindle so that it will not normally dispense oil but will only dispense oil by capillaryaction as the picker sleeve 58 reciprocates back and forth on-the picker spindle. For this purpose I'have provided orifice means 56a and. 58b in said spindle and Ihave provided suitable wick means 52 having an end 54 projecting outwardly through said orifice means 58a or preferably slightly beyond the outer periphery of the spindle. With this structure it is obvious that theoil fit becomes absorbed by the wick means 52 and is fed by capillary action out through theend 15 of thewick means 52 abutting the picker sleeve 58. The end therefore normally plugs the orifice 5%. or .5612 so that normally no oil will leak through. As oil is fed through the wick 52 by capillary action, my device must be so constructed as to admit air to the interior 6.9 of the picker spindle as the oil is fed outwardly by capillary action. For this purpose I preferably provide a small air inlet vent in the picker spindle in the embodiment shown by providing an air inlet groove BE! in the plug 46 for the reservoir 33. In order to provide a structure permitting full capillary .fiowI preferably construct the wick means of continuous yarn strands preferably untwisted but suitably compressed or compacted together. Any suitable type of yarn strands, cotton, worsted, absorbent cotton, etc., may be employed.

In the embodiment shown I preferably employ an orifice means 5 1a and 5th for each side wall. Said or fice means 59a and 5339 are preferably horizontally aligned and diametrically opposite each other and the wick 52 has'one end tea pro; jecting radially outwardly through the orifice means 5&0. and the other end 54o projecting radially outwardly through the orifice means 52 h and has the center portion 62 thereof forced downwardly to lie over the lower Wall of thepicker spindle and. feed lubricant to the last drop.

As stated, I provide means on said pickerspindle to compress the outer ends of said yarn strand means exterior of said orifice against the picker sleeve to squeeze lubricant from theend of the wick means to increase the capillary flow thereof as the pi ker sleeve reciprocates over said-orifice in use.

I preferably provide an inwardly tapered an nular coun ersunk portion 6 4 for this purpose on the outer surface of the pipe orpicker spindle is surrounding the orifice means Elia in the preferred embodiment shown comprising the countersinks 64a and ,Efib respectively. surronnde ing the orifice means, 5.3a andiiiib. The angle of as shown at 69 in Fig. 6.

tilt of the countersink thus affects its area and affects the amount of pumping or squeezing action about to be described. As the sleeve 58 of the picker strikes the ends 54 of the yarn strands 65 of the wick 52 on its inward stroke,it throws the ends of the strands 66 inwardly as at 68 over the inner edge of the countersink 64 shown in Fig.5. When the sleeve 58 of the picker travels in the opposite direction on its outer stroke it throws said ends 5 of said strands 6S outwardly The orifice means a and 5.013 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are preferably located a distance less than half a length of the sleeve'58 from the position the sleeve 58 assumes .at the outer end of its stroke so that the sleeve 58 will remain an instant over the orifices 50a and b to have the squeezed oil 56 flow around the inner surface thereof in the interval which elapsesprior to the next inner throw of the picker. It is thus obvious that the picker sleeve will squeeze the oil 56 outof'the ends-54, of said strands as they abut the surface of the countersink sell immediately permitting capillary action to func: tion to rush increased. amount of oil for lubricating purposes to said ends, as they abut the inner surfaceof the moving picker sleeve; thus on each throw of thepicker in opposite directions a.pump in or squeezing action will be achieved to boost the speed of the capillary action. The endsEA of thestrands comprising the wick means are preferably so compact that they plug the-orifices 553a and 58b and dam any gravity flow therethrough, the only flow achieved by my invention. being the capillary flow.

It isapparent that I have provided a novel type of pickers pindle with the advantages described above.

It is understood that my invention is not limited to the specific embodiments shown and that various deviations may be madetherefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. Means for lubricating a loom picker, comprising a hollow lubricant containing picker spindle having an air inlet vent and closed ends, diametrically opposite horizontally aligned orifice means adjacent the outer end thereof slightly interior of the outer throw of the picker to be coveredby the picker at the outer-end of its stroke having countersunk outer ends, and continuous yarn strand wick means extending diametrically across said hollow picker spindle on the lower wail thereof having ends projecting slightly radially beyond the outer surface of the picker spindle preventing fiow when the picker is inactive, compressible against said countersink in oppositedirections by the back and forth movement of the picker sleeve to squeeze-lubricant from the ends .01" said wick means to increase the capillary flow thereof as the picker reciprocates in use. 7 l

2. Means for lubricating a loom picker,-comprising a hollow lubricant containing picker. spin- 7 diametrically opposite horizontally aligned orifice meansadjacent the outer end thereof in thepath of the reciprocating picker having countersunk outerendsand wick means having ends projectin outwardly from the interior of said hollow picker spindle through said orifice means, extending diametrical y across said hollowpicker spindle on the lower wall thereof preventing flow when the picker inactive, compressible against said countersink in opposite directions by the ba n forth m em p the pic se zsle ve. to.

squeeze lubricant from the ends of said wick means to increase the capillary flow thereof as the picker reciprocates in use.

3. Means for lubricating a loom picker, comprising a hollow lubricant containing picker spindle having an air inlet vent and closed ends, diametrically opposite horizontally aligned orifice means adjacent the outer end thereof in the path of the reciprocating picker having countersunk outer ends, and wick means extending diametrically across said hollow picker spindle having ends projecting outwardly from the interior of said hollow picker spindle through said orifice means slightly radially beyond the outer surface of the picker spindle preventing flow when the picker is inactive, compressible against said countersink in opposite directions by the back and forth movement of the picker sleeve to squeeze lubricant from the ends of said wick means to increase the capillary flow thereof as the picker reciprocates in use.

4. Means for lubricating a loom picker, comprising a hollow lubricant containingpicker spindle having an air inlet vent and closed ends, diametrically opposite horizontally aligned orifice means adjacent the outer end thereof in the path of the reciprocating picker having countersunk outer ends, and wick means having ends projecting REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 158,189 Taylor Dec. 29, 1874 452,773 Dalie May 26, 1891 1,017,225 Martin Feb. 13, 1912 1,518,631 Bruneau Dec. 9, 1924 1,705,345 Tobeler May 12, 1929 1,990,294 Lindegren Feb. 5, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,625 Great Britain 1881 

